- MIT and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have announced plans to establish a Quantum Systems Laboratory (QSL) at MIT, which will be open to researchers throughout the region.
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With the new funding from the state, which will complement the federal funding for quantum research already underway at MIT, the Institute aims to begin construction of the QSL facility this summer.
- QSL will host specialized facilities that will enable Massachusetts scientists to do impactful work using quantum research in all practical domains, including life sciences and national defense.
Quantum technology promises revolutionary changes in fields ranging from computing, security, and navigation to life sciences, defense technology, and space exploration. But how do we ensure that Massachusetts stays on the leading edge of the nation’s next quantum leap? Doing so is essential to the prosperity and security of the United Nations and our country, working to protect and advance America’s technological leadership in a world fueled by geopolitical conflicts.
On Thursday, May 28, Governor Maura Healey joined President Sally Kornbluth at MIT to announce a new effort aimed at establishing Massachusetts as a national center for quantum innovation and promoting next-generation quantum technologies. MIT and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have announced plans to establish a Quantum Systems Laboratory (QSL) at MIT, a new collaborative facility that will serve as the region’s quantum toolbox, aimed at accelerating quantum research, innovation, and growth in this important field.
QSL wants to be the first center in the world to combine advanced quantum computers with quantum sensors and peripherals, connected by quantum interconnects (physical channels that transmit quantum information). The facility will provide researchers from MIT and other institutions with hands-on access to quantum hardware and the specialized experimental skills needed to achieve the full transformative potential of quantum science and engineering.
Thanks to a $25 million investment from the state, which will be matched in part by federal funding for quantum research already underway at MIT, the Institute is now in a position to move forward this summer with the construction of the QSL facility, putting the region in charge of the next generation of quantum research, according to Institute officials. The Commonwealth investment adds to MIT’s financial commitment, as well as generous support from Thomas Tull.
“Greater Boston has some of the greatest talent in the world, working on many potential applications. With the new Quantum Systems Laboratory, we will help Massachusetts lead the next era of quantum technology,” Kornbluth said. “This center will help those on the cutting edge of our most dangerous ideas in physics and quantum computing, yes. But it will also equip the talent in our region — and ultimately, our nation — to push our knowledge to new frontiers, and to innovate.”
QSL will be located in Building 39 on the MIT campus and will serve as a multidisciplinary quantum hub with state-of-the-art experimental infrastructure. Because quantum research involves the creation and study of coherent phenomena in systems isolated from the universe, it must take place in a highly controlled environment. Work is already underway in Building 39, with a major investment by MIT, to develop the infrastructure for these unique needs. Federal support will expand this work and allow the lab’s transformation into a hub for scientists across the region working on next-generation quantum technologies, startup applications, defense and health technologies, and more.
“Our region has an unparalleled capacity for science-based innovation and strong technological achievements that include engineering, science, and computing,” commented Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT dean. “With the new Quantum Systems Laboratory, we aim to equip Massachusetts with the computing power and integrated platforms needed to lead the next era of quantum technology.”
In numbers
QSL will host specialized facilities that will enable Massachusetts scientists to do impactful work using quantum research in all functional domains. As a collaborative facility, QSL is developed with the primary goal of returning broad scientific, labor, and economic benefits to society.
For example, quantum technology offers significant opportunities in the fields of life sciences and defense technology, which contribute $50 billion to the Massachusetts economy, with dozens of startups operating in the area. At a time of growing economic concerns and labor market concerns, investing in capacity building facilities will provide our region with new job opportunities, academic research centers, startups and more. The construction of the QSL facility alone is expected to create more than 150 full-time, on-site construction jobs, and another 75 to 100 throughout the Commonwealth in the provision of facilities and professional services that support the work.
Startups from MIT are also a key driver of the government’s entrepreneurship ecosystem; in 2015, Sloan Professors Edward Roberts and Fiona Murray published a report detailing how the Center’s entrepreneurs have created more than 30,000 active companies, employing 4.6 million people, and generating annual revenues of $1.9 trillion, which is greater than the gross domestic product (GDP) of the world’s largest Q210 economy. will provide the necessary equipment and start-up facilities working on quantum technologies, thus strengthening the innovation economy of the region.
“The new QSL will introduce a state-of-the-art experimental infrastructure to quantum research at MIT and beyond, allowing us to scale experiments and grow into key domains in fields like biology and chemistry, where we see great potential for innovation,” explains Ian Waitz, MIT’s vice president for research. “As the new home of the MIT Quantum Initiative (or QMIT), QSL will serve as not only an on-campus incubator, but more broadly, a regional hub for stimulating quantum innovation, growth, and investment in this important Commonwealth R&D sector.”
One floor of the facility will allow the development of radio-frequency (RF) electronics to control and interface with quantum systems. QSL will also support researchers in the creation of customized quantum experiments with state-of-the-art packages, which are needed to secure quantum data in real-world applications. The facility will also develop the THz electronics needed for advanced quantum systems.
A history of games focused on the future
About ten years ago, MIT made the same big bet on nanotechnology, developing MIT.nano – a modern, collaborative facility with more than 200 tools and equipment that support nanoscale discovery and innovation through imaging, fabrication, characterisation, and prototyping. Located in the heart of campus in the Lisa T. Su Building, MIT.nano is home to a thriving research community, industry consortium, and startup accelerator. More than a fifth of MIT.nano’s 1,500 users come from outside MIT, and half of the companies in its START.nano accelerator have non-MIT founders.
QSL will also complement the capabilities of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s SQUILL Foundry, a quantum hub for superconducting qubit systems that serves researchers across Massachusetts and the nation for free.
